cross country check in

SARAH SLEAN buys a dress or two or is that more

ANNIE THOMPSON CREATES RECLAIMED DRESS FOR

SARAH SLEAN’S RECESSION-ISTA TOUR

June 1, 2009
Toronto, ON—Artist and designer Annie Thompson created a spectacular one-of-a-kind dress for award-wining Canadian songstress Sarah Slean for her Recession-ista tour. Thompson was one of the select Canadian designers commissioned by Slean to craft a new dress made completely from reclaimed second-hand garments. Never one to shy away from a creative challenge, Thompson jumped at the opportunity to breathe new life into a variety of treasures sourced from Value Village, including a bed sheet, a wedding gown, and a couple of tops and dresses. Inspired by the design of a chair from an architecture magazine, Thompson’s inventiveness of the white and black striped bodice serves to reflect the lightness and darkness of Slean’s lyrics and the melodies played on the keys of her piano.

Kat O’Shaughnessy of Magdelina Designs

from the official Shara Slean Website: "What happens when a businessman/programmer falls in love with a glass and fabric artist? Why, Kat O’Shaughnessy of course. Born to exactly such parents, Kat is a living hybrid of what could be the most unlikely pairing of interests imaginable – textiles and computers.

These disparate disciplines come together in Kat’s current job at the Textile Museum of Canada where she digitally archives the Canadian collection, and also in her personal passion - sustainable fashion design. How do you incorporate computers into fashion design? Check out the images on these crazy silk-screened ties!

Slean will wear the ensemble for her June 4th Montreal performance at Le Savoy. Each designer gown from the tour will be auctioned off on eBay with the proceeds benefiting the David Suzuki Foundation.

Read more about this talented singers approach to the Cross Marketing of Canadian Designers, Sustainable/Ecco Fashion, Political / Social Action and Music visit her website http://www.sarahslean.com/TOUR/Recessionista/


Vancouver
May was a busy month so i unfortunately didn't post Babara Heller's Future Reliquaries exhibition which has just finished at the Eliot Louis Gallery, #1 - 258 East 1st Ave, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V5T 1A6 But you can visit the website to see images of the work and watch a 10 minute video "Its All About Art" Shot in May 2007, Barbara Heller, internationally acclaimed tapestry artist, is interviewed by Ted Lederer and Devorah Macdonald. Topics discussed include her career and previous 2007 exhibition.

Babara Heller at Eliot Gallery

June is here and this weekend at the Circle Graft Gallery a group of divers and and uniquely talented fibre artist is opening.

Off the Grid
curated by Katherine Soucie

Ulrieke Benner, Jessica de Haas, Leslie Richmond, Katherine Soucie, Yvonne Wakabayashi & Angelika Werth

Circle Craft Gallery
June 4 - 30th 2009
1-1666 Johnston Street
Net Loft, Granville Island
Vancouver, BC

www.circelcraft.net
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Toronto
Transmute:: Subtle Technologies Exhibition 09
curated by Camille Turner
artists:: Lynne Heller, Scott Kidall and Victoria Scott

University of Toronto Art Centre
15 King’s College Circle
Toronto, ON, Canada

June 5 - 28, 2009

gallery hours:: Tuesday to Friday 12 to 5 pm
Saturday 12 to 4 pm

opening reception and performance:: Saturday June 13, 2009 6 pm to 8 pm

Lynne Heller is a Canadian artist/designer who works in a variety of disciplines including fibre, sound, new media (virtual worlds, principally Second Life), websites and sculptural installations.
visit her website: http://www.lynneheller.com/

Scott Kidall was in: Close to You: Contemporary Textiles, Intimacy + Popular Culture, at the TMC, June 4, 2008 - October 12, 2008 and at Dalhousie Art Gallery, Halifax.


for more information about the exhibiton visit http://www.utac.utoronto.ca/

Inspired by the Summit:further explorations with washi

An exhibition at The Japanese Paper Place
77 Brock Ave., Toronto, ON
June 5 - July 3, 2009

Monday-Friday 9:00 am ­ 6:30 pm
Saturdays June 6, 13 and 20 only noon - 5:00 pm

Reception: Monday June 15, 6:30 ­ 8:30 pm

Following on last June¹s ground-breaking World Washi Summit, this exhibition highlights the work of 20 Toronto-based artists who participated in that event, and who continue to explore successfully the creative possibilities of traditional Japanese paper. Drawing, painting, silkscreen, etching, sculpture, mixed media and bookbinding by artists including Ron Bolt, Kelly Cade, Doug Guildford, Libby Hague, Barbara Klunder, Penelope Stewart, Tammy Ratcliff, Will Rueter, Jeannie Thib, Cybele Young, and 10 others represent the many paths that can be taken by artists who begin a dialogue with washi, and have the energy for what is often a very long and richly varied conversation.

Concurrent exhibitions with washi and workshops during the month of June are viewable at http://japanesepaperplace.com/goings-on/events.htm

For more information or as a media contact , please call:

Nancy Jacobi
Tel. 416-538-9669


Ongoing

Orly Cogan
Size Matters 2007Vintage fabric, stitching117 x 109 cm (46 x 43”)
Photo: Courtesy the artist

She will Always Be Older Then Us: featuring the work of Orly Cogan, Wednesday Lupyciw, Cat Massa, Gillian Strong and Ginger Brooks Takahashi.

When Women Rule the World: Judy Chicago in Threads,

Curated by Allyson Mitchell.

February 12- September 7 2009

Textile Museum of Canada,
55 Centre Avenue, Toronto, Ontario.
http://www.textilemuseum.ca/

These two exhibition will be moving to the Art Gallery of Calgary 117 -8 Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta. September 25, 2009 – Saturday, January 23, 2010

You can read my review of Judy Chicago in the next issue ETN: Textile Forum currently in production.

Mississauga

Reeta Saeed; The Education of Geography, 2008, gouache on antique paper {c.1948 National Geographic Magazine Envelope}

Bazgasht: Traditional Methods and Modern Practices
Revival of miniature paintings from the sub-Contenent

Art Gallery of Mississauga
May 14 - July 12, 2009

Curated by Ali Adil Khan
featuring work by 17 artist from around the world including Reeta Saeed who was in fibreworks 2008 and Dyed Roots: The New Emergence of Culture at the MOCCA in Toronto

for more information the Art Gallery of Missassauga website
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International Textile traveller Sky Morrison told me about this Blog project

www.redthreadranis.com Red Thread Ranis : telling the stories behind the stitches

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Quebec

À l’ épaule by Colotte Matte located at the chappelle Nortre-Dame de la Paix , Lac Sergent

Biennale internationale du lin de Portneuf 2009 June 24 through September 27, is upon us again this biannual celebration of Flax that happens in locations around the Portneuf region in Quebec.

Craft: Lieux de mémoire / Places of memory, collective exhibition in crafts curated by Denis Longchamps opening June 14 at 2.pm at the La Chevrotiere Mill in Deschambault-Grondines

in this exhibition are: Alain Taral - Dawn McNutt - J. Penney Burton - Liz Williamson - Mackenzie Frère - Michèle Lapointe - Mireille Racine - Monique Giard - Rosie Godbout - Sarah Alford - Veronika Horlik - Vita Plume

read more in the newest issue of fibreQUARTERLY: Biennale internationale du lin de Portneuf 2009 Preview and other Reviews

for more information visit their website at http://www.biennaledulin.ca